DoD News

WASHINGTON - The U.S. will triumph over murderous extremists because of the daring and ingenuity of its people and armed forces, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in his commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy today.

WASHINGTON - Although 1,500 U.S. troops were deployed this week from Kuwait to help calm the recent surge of violence in Ramadi, Iraq, the decision about how to handle the problem in that area ultimately belongs to the Iraqi government, a U.S. general involved in planning operations said here today.

WASHINGTON - Two Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers have died in Iraq in the past two days, the bodies of two Marines killed in Anbar province May 27 have been recovered, and the Defense Department has identified two previous casualties.

WASHINGTON - An act signed into law May 29 by President Bush solves a conflict in the tax code by allowing servicemembers who serve in a combat zone to still contribute to their individual retirement accounts, a Defense Department official said here today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's latest quarterly report to Congress on progress in Iraq cites continued momentum on the political, economic and security fronts and evidence that those attempting to derail it are failing, senior defense officials told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON - A number of initiatives are under way to instill democratic values in the Iraq security forces. One such initiative involves U.S. Army leadership experts helping to set up the Iraqi Center for Values, Principles and Leadership here.

WASHINGTON - With hurricane season just days away, three new initiatives have officials here at the Defense Logistics Agency headquarters confident they're more prepared than ever to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency if needed.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is sending about 100 troops to Indonesia to contribute to international humanitarian relief efforts in the wake of a devastating 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck May 27 near the ancient city of Yogyakarta.

WASHINGTON - Sarun Sar first experienced combat at age 11 in the jungles of Southeast Asia. He fought in several combat actions before being wounded and sent to a refugee camp near the Thai-Cambodian border.

WASHINGTON - When the Air Force 332nd Recruiting Squadron got the chance to provide a color guard for the Grand Ole Opry's Memorial Day weekend All-American Salute Signature Shows, the airmen were happy to oblige.

WASHINGTON - On a day that is meant to represent more than just the unofficial start of the summer season, thousands of people lined Constitution Avenue here to watch a Memorial Day parade commemorating U.S. troops who have died while serving their country.

WASHINGTON - America's top military leaders -- the commander in chief, secretary of defense, and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff -- commemorated this Memorial Day by paying tribute to generations of Americans, past and present, who have "answered the call to serve and stepped forward to protect the nation they loved."

WASHINGTON - Operation Barnstormer, part of the Iraqi Agriculture Ministry's program to protect key staple crops from insect damage, wrapped up yesterday with a final day of aerial spraying in the northern Iraqi province of Dahuk, Task Force Band of Brothers officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier, an Iraqi contractor, and two members of a CBS News crew were killed today when a bomb-laden vehicle exploded near a patrol in central Baghdad, military officials here reported.

WASHINGTON - Darryl Worley did not follow his family tradition of joining the military, but fate led him to another way to support his country -- by supporting those who followed the call to military service.

WASHINGTON - No good can come of speculation surrounding a Nov. 19 incident in Haditha, Iraq, in which 24 Iraqi civilians, including women and children, were killed in the aftermath of a roadside bomb attack, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff offered condolences here yesterday to families of fallen servicemembers, many observing their first Memorial Day as Gold Star families, and assured them the country will never forget their sacrifice.

WASHINGTON - Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines stationed here remembered their fellow Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the freedom of our nation, during a Memorial Day weekend ceremony today.

WASHINGTON - The seating of the permanent Iraqi government was a "decisive moment" in the struggle in Iraq and may be "the defining moment" for the future, a senior Multinational Division Baghdad official said today.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1 Cobra helicopter from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing crashed today in Iraq's Anbar province with two Marines on board during a maintenance test flight, U.S. military officials said.

WASHINGTON - America will take the fight against terrorism to every battlefront with an unrelenting determination that will not cease until terrorists are defeated, President Bush said today in West Point, N.Y.

WASHINGTON - The formation of a democratic government in Iraq marks a significant victory for the cause of freedom in the Middle East and a hard-earned victory for American servicemembers who have sacrificed for their nation, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney today urged the U.S. Naval Academy's graduating class to understand the nature of the enemy in the global war on terror as they enter the military services as commissioned officers.

WASHINGTON - They call it "Sandhurst in the Sand." The Iraqi military academy here is modeled after Britain's Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, in Camberley, Surrey, and it has begun turning out officers for the new Iraqi army.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military footprint in Europe is significantly changed from just a decade ago. Gone are dozens of American enclaves -- some self-contained communities complete with schools, shopping centers and housing complexes -- located throughout Western Europe, but primarily in Germany.

WASHINGTON - The 91 countries in U.S European Command's area of responsibility represent a vast breadth of culture and geography, yet the command's mission is the same throughout: supporting the Long War and creating conditions hospitable to democracy and stability.

WASHINGTON - The struggle in Iraq is a genuine pursuit of liberty, and the international community needs to recognize its importance and unite to advance the cause of freedom, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a speech at Georgetown University here today.

WASHINGTON - The United States and Great Britain are increasing the scope and breadth of their intelligence and military cooperation, President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced in a joint statement issued by the White House today.

WASHINGTON - Twenty-nine nations of the trans-Atlantic community took a first step toward hammering out an understanding of when and how to use military forces to secure the homeland during a conference held here May 22-24.

WASHINGTON - Every U.S. servicemember lost in the global war on terror is a tragedy, but as the United States honors them this Memorial Day, it's important to recognize that some things are worth fighting for, and even dying for, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said last night on CNN's "Larry King Live."

WASHINGTON - By a 78-15 vote, the Senate today confirmed Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden as CIA director. Hayden, who has served under John D. Negroponte as principal deputy director of national intelligence since April 2005, succeeds Porter Goss.

WASHINGTON - President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair last night defended the decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power and emphasized that the stakes are worth the sacrifices made and those yet to come.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and coalition naval forces are currently providing assistance to the Iraqis in the aftermath of an oil terminal fire that burned itself out this morning, U.S. military officials here reported today.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Navy ship shot down a long-range ballistic missile in its final seconds of flight during a test yesterday. It was the first successful ship-launched intercept of a ballistic missile in its terminal phase, U.S. military officials said.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun a thorough examination of policies and procedures after the loss of 26.5 million veterans' personal information, the VA's leader told the House Armed Services Committee today.

WASHINGTON - A yearlong review of total military compensation could eventually result in streamlined allowances and a fundamental shift in thinking on how the uniformed services pay members and retirees.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces detained two suspected Taliban fighters in Afghanistan's Kandahar province yesterday, while in separate incidents today and yesterday, three Afghan civilians were killed and three others were wounded by enemy action, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Their mission here accomplished, three Virginia businessmen are scheduled to arrive home today after completing their "Ride for America's Patriots," a 3,200-mile roundtrip motorcycle ride designed to raise money for wounded veterans.

WASHINGTON - Three terrorists were killed yesterday after planting a roadside bomb west of Baghdad, and the commander of Multinational Force West is seeking a criminal investigation of an April 26 incident in which an Iraqi civilian was killed.

WASHINGTON - A general assigned to the military Joint Staff urged the American public to take time this upcoming weekend to recognize Memorial Day and remember the men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

WASHINGTON - More than 600 servicemembers representing the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Army National Guard veterans of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom will take part in the National Memorial Day Parade here May 29.

WASHINGTON - The National Guard's support for the border security mission won't detract from its warfighting and disaster support roles, but will actually sharpen its ability to carry them out, senior defense officials told Congress today.

WASHINGTON - The United Service Organizations of Metropolitan Washington and Joint Employment Transition Services will present their first Military Spouse Career Expo at the Sosa Recreation Center at Fort Belvoir, Va., June 17, USO officials announced.

WASHINGTON - With hurricane season nearing, the Defense Department has tremendous assets to offer a civilian-led response to a major disaster, a top DoD official involved in the process told reporters here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. welcomes the rise of a peaceful and prosperous China, but is taking note as the Asian nation systematically modernizes its military capabilities, a Defense Department report on Chinese military power released today states.

WASHINGTON - Suicide rates within the military are about half those in the general military-aged population, but the Defense Department is reaching out to its members to help further reduce the incidence of suicide within the ranks, a top military doctor said.

WASHINGTON - Coalition leaders are working to transfer security responsibility to Iraqis as soon as possible, but they recognize the dangers of "rushing to failure," a senior military official told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON - The recent surge in violence in southern Afghanistan reflects the fact that Afghan security forces are extending their reach and that the Taliban, in desperation, are trying to stop them, a senior military official told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON - The commander of Multinational Division Baghdad and key members of his staff met with governors and local leaders from Babil and Karbala provinces yesterday for the second time in as many months to discuss the security situation in their areas.

WASHINGTON - Recognizing the need for a federal agency to take the lead in honoring U.S. servicemembers who died on foreign soil, Congress enacted legislation in 1923 to create the American Battle Monuments Commission.

WASHINGTON - You can't predict where your military career will take you, a former U.S. Naval Academy midshipman, turned instructor, tells his students. What you can do is learn to take the unexpected in stride.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials are weighing the potential benefits of creating a single, unified medical command that would oversee all military health care as well as the training and education of military medical professionals and military medical research and development activities.

WASHINGTON - Last week's inauguration of the new Iraqi unity government was a victory for democracy and a turning point in the struggle between freedom and terror, President Bush said in Chicago today.

WASHINGTON - Veterans Affairs officials today announced the theft of personal information on up to 26.5 million veterans. However, VA Secretary R. James Nicholson stressed there's no indication the information is being used for purposes of fraud.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces conducted a significant operation early this morning in the Kandahar region near the village of Azizi that resulted in the deaths of up to 80 Taliban members, military officials here reported.

WASHINGTON - The Counterinsurgency Center for Excellence here was established last year to help units adapt to and train for the war against terror in Iraq as it is fought today, which is much different than it was 2003, 2004 or even 2005.

WASHINGTON - Based on tips, coalition forces located and killed six terrorists, detained three and destroyed a safe house and multiple weapons caches in Ramadi during a search May 17 for a wanted terrorist known as the "Prince of IEDs," military officials in Baghdad reported today.

WASHINGTON - Beneath the Italian Embassy's clear glass rotunda, wounded servicemembers and their families accepted the ambassador's offer to host them for an evening of food, fellowship and song here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's top leaders today defended proposed changes in the Tricare fee system, telling a Pentagon town hall audience the increases are essential to keeping the system solvent and strong.

WASHINGTON - A bogus suicide attempt yesterday lured guards into a 10-man detainee bay where an attack awaited them, the admiral in charge of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, told reporters today. Two other detainees had attempted suicide earlier in the day.

WASHINGTON - A recently completed international experiment successfully explored a "holistic" approach to dealing with conflict situations, the general who heads U.S. Joint Forces Command and serves as NATO's supreme allied commander for transformation, said today.

WASHINGTON - The United States is depending on every one of its Defense Department employees, military and civilian alike, to contribute their talents to winning the war on terror, the defense secretary and top-ranking U.S. military officer said today at a Pentagon town hall meeting.

WASHINGTON - In this war on terror, a house call may be more important than a combat fire mission. That's why Army Capt. Juan Santiago, commander of Aztec Battery, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery, was going to visit Sheikh Majoob

WASHINGTON - A series of continuous offensive operations May 17 and yesterday across eastern and southern Afghanistan left 61 Taliban extremists dead and 20 others captured, military officials here reported today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces destroyed an abandoned hotel yesterday in Haqlaniyah, Iraq, using precision munitions to deny its use as an insurgent support base, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

WASHINGTON - Traumatic injuries are a tragic fact of life in war. But thanks to the efforts of military medical personnel here, wounded servicemembers have the best chance of surviving their injuries than in any previous conflict.

WASHINGTON - National Guard troops are expected to begin assuming their border security mission as soon as early June, with about three-quarters of the force to come from the Army National Guard, top officials involved in the process told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON - One Canadian army officer was killed and three Afghan National Army soldiers were wounded in an operation yesterday in the Panjway district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province. Eighteen Taliban extremists were killed and 26 captured in the operation.

WASHINGTON - Separate incidents in Baghdad and Mosul led to Iraqi and coalition forces killing or capturing several terrorists operating in those areas. Coalition forces also disarmed a car bomb in Mosul.

WASHINGTON - A full-scale bio-exercise in the Pentagon parking lot today tested how the Pentagon police, in partnership with local emergency services, would respond to a biological attack at the military headquarters.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops serving in the war on terror are giving their all and deserve everything the country can give them to help them succeed, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today in urging Congress to pass the fiscal 2007 defense budget and 2006 budget supplemental requests.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's proposal to temporarily boost the National Guard's contribution to U.S. border security stands as a testament to the Guard's flexibility but in no way signals a new, long-term Guard mission, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told Congress today.

WASHINGTON - The new HBO documentary film "Baghdad ER" is much more than just a series of gruesome images flickering across a screen. It is a poignant testament to the sacrifice of American troops and the dedication of military medical personnel.

WASHINGTON - For the past six months, troops overseas have been getting a high dose of caffeine thanks to a partnership between a group dedicated to supporting combat troops and a family-owned coffee company.

WASHINGTON - The National Guard has supported operations at the U.S. southern border for years, and the new plan announced by President Bush last night will simply expand those operations, Defense Department officials said here today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard today hailed the long history of U.S.-Australian cooperation and recalled the first time they met as their respective nations' leaders: Sept. 10, 2001.

WASHINGTON - Inspired by a severely injured veteran of the war in Iraq, three men set out on a nearly 1,600-mile motorcycle ride today that will raise awareness and money to help injured servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - Three years after Libya renounced terrorism and abandoned its program to acquire weapons of mass destruction, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced today that the United States is restoring full diplomatic relations with the North African country and soon will open an embassy in Tripoli.

WASHINGTON - As the new Iraqi army attains capability, more units are taking over security responsibility within their country. The latest example is the Iraqi 2nd Brigade of the 9th Mechanized Division, which assumed responsibility for security in the Taji area during a ceremony here today.

WASHINGTON - In another place and in another time, Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Long may have been loading up the family to take them to a Mother's Day brunch. Instead, he was briefing his C Troop, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry team on the mission they were about to perform.

WASHINGTON - Terrorists killed 14 Iraqi citizens and injured at least six others in an attack today in western Baghdad. In other news, coalition forces raided a terrorist safe haven near Julaybah yesterday, killing three terrorists and detaining four suspects, officials in Iraq reported today.

WASHINGTON - Afghan National Army and coalition forces confiscated a sizeable weapons cache in the Orgun District of Paktika Province yesterday after receiving a tip from an Afghan citizen, officials in Afghanistan reported today.

WASHINGTON - Serving on a military transition team may be the most important job in Iraq today, with members working with Iraqi units to realize President Bush's promise: "As the Iraqis stand up. We'll stand down."

WASHINGTON - Two civilians were wounded when terrorists detonated an improvised explosive device in Langhar Village, Afghanistan, May 11. And in other news, coalition forces found a weapons cache in the Paktya province May 9, military officials in Afghanistan reported.

WASHINGTON - "In the meeting we just had, we agreed that there are no Sunni or Shiia, we are all Iraqi brothers and we're all working for the future of Iraq," said Sheikh Haday Hameed al-Sultan today through an interpreter.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon Channel today marked its two-year anniversary by filming several promotional spots in the Pentagon's center courtyard and talking with military and Defense Department officials.

WASHINGTON - Misleading media coverage about the military's mental health services for troops deployed to or returned from Iraq loses sight of the fact that they're the best, most comprehensive ever provided, the Defense Department's top doctor said today.

WASHINGTON - The vast Asian-Pacific region is enormously important to America's national security and the geo-political and economic importance of the region continues to grow, a top Pacific Command official said here this week.

WASHINGTON - More than 250 people from across the mainland, South Korea, Japan, Hawaii and the Pacific islands watched as 11 servicemembers were lauded during a Defense Department luncheon and awards ceremony here honoring Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.

WASHINGTON - Sending the Iraqi army forth to take care of security operations is the key to the safety of the Iraqi people and the groundwork for the establishment of a free government, many senior military officials have said.

WASHINGTON - With two months of duty in Iraq under his belt, the British deputy commander of Multinational Force Iraq said today he's struck by the scope of the mission, the importance of the non-military as well as military contributions to success and the caliber of the U.S. forces deployed there.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has been working hard with Congress for the past several months and has reached some conclusions about how the fee system for military health care should be changed, a top DoD official said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department, Department of Veterans Affairs and millions of servicemembers and veterans are mourning retired U.S. Rep. Gillespie "Sonny" Montgomery, who died today at 85 in Meridian, Miss., following a long illness.

WASHINGTON - President Bush singled out graduating family members of a fallen Marine today during a commencement address in Biloxi, Miss., then met with families of troops killed in the war on terror to thank them for their sacrifice.

WASHINGTON - Continuing America's longstanding tradition of helping those in need, the U.S. Navy recently deployed the hospital ship USNS Mercy on a proactive humanitarian mission to Southeast Asia, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Boy Scouts, sorority groups, businessmen and veterans will come together for two fundraisers this spring to help a group of kayakers continue their river-borne rehabilitation effort for wounded troops.

WASHINGTON - The decision to delay deployment of one Army brigade from Germany to Iraq does not mean officials have decided to draw down troops in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The intelligence community has a far more complicated job now, during the global war on terror, than ever before, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said yesterday on the "Brian and the Judge Show" on Fox News Radio.

WASHINGTON - The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is making it easy for anyone to honor America's troops with "Gifts from the Homefront" gift certificates. Anyone can send these gift certificates to military servicemembers serving in operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom.

WASHINGTON - Defying estimates of a low turnout, more than 6,300 patients were treated during a historic six-day medical civic assistance program conducted by the Afghan National Army and coalition forces in Kunar province's Korengal Valley in Afghanistan recently.

WASHINGTON - The police athletic leagues of Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, Fla., have teamed with America Supports You member organization "Cell Phones for Soldiers" to help servicemembers and their families stay connected.

WASHINGTON - More than 5,000 U.S. and Canadian servicemembers are working with authorities in five U.S. states and two Canadian provinces to test their response capabilities to crises ranging from a major hurricane to a terrorist attack to a pandemic flu outbreak.

WASHINGTON - Afghanistan has come a long way toward peace and stability since Operation Enduring Freedom began four and a half years ago, the commander of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan said here today.

WASHINGTON - For the third straight day, coalition aircrews targeted an abandoned train station in Ramadi today, and a terrorist bomb detonated in a crowded area of Tal Afar last night, military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON - While the Defense Department doesn't have as many Asian-Pacific Americans in some grades of its civilian work force as it would like, their numbers in military service are strong, a top defense operations research analyst said here May 8.

WASHINGTON - A Defense Department program that 64 other federal agencies have adopted sees to it that wounded servicemembers from Iraq and Afghanistan and other people with disabilities have equal access to the information environment and opportunities throughout the federal government, a senior DoD official said here May 8.

WASHINGTON - Thirty-three days after pedaling out of Los Angeles, a group of cyclists arrived at the Pentagon today as part of the Airline Ride Across America to honor the 33 airline crewmembers who died during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

WASHINGTON - Working under a new mandate, U.S. Transportation Command is transforming how it moves people, weapons and supplies to support the global war on terrorism, the command's senior enlisted advisor said here yesterday.

ORLANDO, Fla. - More than 8,000 citizen-soldiers and airmen are ready to assist the state of Florida in fighting wildfires that have plagued the state for several weeks, Florida National Guard officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - A nonprofit group founded and organized by a U.S. Navy veteran is protecting troops on the front lines against severe head trauma by mobilizing citizens to support deployed servicemembers.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Even though the registration deadline is only a week away, there's still room for military children to attend an "Operation Purple" summer camp free of charge, according to National Military Family Association officials.

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. military general told members of The Citadel's graduating class accepting commissions into the military on May 6 they're serving their country in its time of need and offered them his own personal formula for leadership success.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - A coalition air strike killed four enemy extremists and destroyed a truck and a cave complex today in the Bermel district of Afghanistan's Paktika province, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - As the mother of a Marine on his first deployment in 2003, Donna Clemons didn't know where to turn for support. She didn't know anyone else with family members in the military who would understand what she was going through, she said.

WASHINGTON - About 3,500 active-duty soldiers who were slated to begin their deployment to Iraq in the coming days will remain at their base in Schweinfurt, Germany, until further notice, defense officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - Afghan National Police found an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan's Khowst province May 6, and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache and detained terror suspects in Kunar province the same day, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A key leader in the Ansar al-Islam terrorist group's military command was killed in a raid May 6 in Baghdad, and firefighters responding to a school fire east of Baghdad yesterday found a bomb-making factory, military officials in Iraq reported.

KORENGAL VALLEY, Afghanistan - Afghan National Army and coalition forces have been taking the war on terrorism to their adversaries in this enemy safe haven in Afghanistan's Kunar province for the past month.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and Iraqi forces captured and arrested terrorist suspects, destroyed illicit weapons caches, and launched a series of military offensives against insurgents over the past three days, military officials in Iraq reported.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Military Appreciation Month is under way, as millions of people have jammed the beach here this week for "Fleet Week USA - A National Salute to America's Heroes," sponsored by McDonald's.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Recovery operations resumed today at the site of a U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan's Kunar province that claimed 10 soldiers' lives, military officials reported.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - All 10 U.S. soldiers aboard died late last night when a CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed near Asadabad in Afghanistan's Kunar province, military officials reported today.

TIKRIT, Iraq - Soldiers from Task Force Band of Brothers killed three terrorists in a firefight near Samarra, Iraq, on May 4, and three other terrorists were detained in the incident, military officials in Iraq reported yesterday.

BAGHDAD - Coalition officials call it the "measles chart" -- a map of Iraq showing all the planned, in-progress and completed infrastructure projects that makes the country look like it has developed a case of the measles.

WASHINGTON - Three Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers died at about 11:45 a.m. today when the vehicle they were riding in was struck by an improvised explosive device south of Baghdad in Babil province, officials in Iraq said.

WASHINGTON - All the Iraqi security forces in northern Iraq are engaged in the fight against terrorism and are making progress toward leading operations early next year, the U.S. general in charge of operations in the area said today.

ATLANTA - The Internet, new technology and other tools not available in previous Base Realignment and Closure rounds are helping the Defense Department meet its environmental responsibilities in the current round of closures, a top DoD official said here yesterday.

ATLANTA - Just as the United States is transforming its military to adapt to today's world, the nation must be willing to change old relationships and form new ones, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

BAGHDAD - The commanding general of Multinational Division Baghdad met with four prominent Iraqi governors at the Falaniko House in the International Zone here April 28 to reaffirm the leaders' joint dedication to continue working together and to discuss concerns.

WASHINGTON - Over the past year, the National Guard has demonstrated not only its ability to be the nation's "minutemen" and respond to calls immediately, but also its ability to sustain several different missions at once, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The National Guard and reserve components are key players in America's ability to fight the war on terror abroad, and respond to security threats and national disasters in the homeland, Defense Department leaders said here yesterday.

UDAIRI RANGE, Kuwait - For 20-year-old Army Pfc. Michael Torres, deployed here from Baumholder, Germany, a constant reminder that the American people are behind him comes in the form of a tiny folded U.S. flag he keeps in his pocket wherever he goes.

WASHINGTON - Afghan national security forces are building capabilities every day and will soon be able to provide security for their country and be a strong partner in the war on terrorism, two U.S. and Afghan generals involved in training the forces said in a news briefing from Afghanistan today.

WASHINGTON - Protecting the environment and ensuring a highly trained military force don't have to be contradictory goals, as proven by winners of the 2005 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards, a top defense official said during the awards ceremony yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today it's highly unlikely his senior officers at U.S. Central Command and Multinational Force Iraq will recommend any U.S. troop reductions until the Iraqi government is fully up and running.

WASHINGTON - If a flu pandemic hit the United States, the Defense Department's top priority would be to protect the military's operational readiness so it can play a supporting role to the Homeland Security and State departments, as outlined in a national response plan released today by the White House.

ATLANTA - With the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process shutting down 25 major installations and radically realigning 24 others over the next six years, a BRAC conference under way here is focusing on growth as well as downsizing, a defense official told reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - There's nothing like a steaming cup of gourmet coffee to get you started in the morning, and coffee is one of the few things servicemembers can make in a combat zone, said Jon Rogers, founder and president of the Rogers Family Company.

KUWAIT CITY - The U.S. Camp Arifjan female basketball team used a strong post game to out-muscle a quick Kuwaiti female national team 71-64 in an exhibition match at the Al-Fatat Women's Sport Club, in Kuwait City April 27.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Fukushiro Nukaga, Japan's minister of state for defense, met at the Pentagon today to continue discussions about realigning U.S. forces in Japan, including moving 8,000 Marines from Okinawa.

ATLANTA - More than 900 people representing organizations with a stake in how the Base Realignment and Closure process goes forward are gathered here this week to discuss the implications of the 2005 BRAC round.

AL BASRA OIL TERMINAL, Iraq - It looks like a scene from the movie "Waterworld" here off the Iraqi coast. Two oil terminals - this one and the Khawr al Amaya a few kilometers away - rise from the sea, miles out of sight of land. The oil wealth of Iraq flows into supertankers that berth here.

WASHINGTON - When the premier medical centers from the Army and Navy merge into one joint facility in Bethesda, Md., in 2011, the rich heritage and world-class treatment reputation of Walter Reed Army Medical Center will continue under the same name at a different location.

BAGHDAD - As they stepped into the large, gray military cargo plane, their eyes widened and their expressions were equal parts wonder and bewilderment. This was the first time many of the Iraqi children and their parents had ever flown in an airplane, and none had ever been in an aircraft as large as the U.S. Air Force's C-17 Globemaster III.

WASHINGTON - Ensuring military services are able to work seamlessly with each other, coalition partners, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations is no small feat. But U.S. Joint Forces Command's top officer said work on the challenge is progressing well.

ABOARD THE USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN - While there is a ring of steel around the Iraqi oil terminal platforms in the Northern Arabian Gulf, small rubber boats with special boat crews do much of the heavy lifting for security and stability in the area.

BAGHDAD - Coalition forces killed 10 terrorists, three of them wearing suicide vests, and wounded one at approximately 1:30 a.m. today at a safe house located approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Balad, Iraq, while searching for an al Qaeda terrorist leader.

WASHINGTON - After traveling to Baghdad last week to meet with Iraq's newly chosen leaders, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today briefed President Bush on their impressions.

TAMPA, Fla. - Civilian leaders returned here yesterday from a whirlwind trip through Southwest Asia with a fresh new perspective about U.S. military operations under way and the caliber of the men and women serving the country in uniform.

ABOARD THE USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN - There's a "ring of steel" around one of the most important economic targets in the world. That's the way Royal Navy Cmdr. Steve Dainton, the captain of HMS St. Albans, described the coalition maritime protection around Iraqi oil terminals in the Northern Arabian Gulf.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq - Iraq once supplied roughly 30 percent of the world's dates, an estimated 600,000 tons. But with fewer than 15 million date palm trees left in Iraq, production has dropped to only about 250,000 tons of the fruit annually.